What you see is what you get

The Rangers mulled calling someone up from Hartford, but opted against it, which means yes, everyone’s favorite enigma, Marcel Hossa, will skate in Sean Avery’s spot at left wing alongside Scott Gomez and Brendan Shanahan tonight against the Islanders.

Some more notes:

The rest of the lineup is what you’d expect, with Ryan Callahan taking the right wing with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha.

Marek Malik is now also medically cleared to play, but will be a healthy scratch. My guess is the Rangers’ reluctance to summon bodies from Hartford lies in the fact that if need be, they can insert Malik back in and put Jason Strudwick in at forward. But I would have to think that would only be a short-term solution.

I’m pretty sure Josh reported this yesterday, but Petr Prucha will take a spot on the power play with Brandon Dubinsky and Jaromir Jagr up front and Michal Rozsival and Martin Straka back at the point. The other power play has Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Brendan Shanahan at forward and a rotation of Paul Mara, Dan Girardi, and Fedor Tyutin.

A new wrinkle: Dubinsky was seen limping severely around the dressing room, with his left knee wrapped heavily in ice. Dubinsky skated this morning and didn’t show any effects of an injury on the ice, but that’s something to keep an eye on. When asked about it, he shrugged his shoulders and said he was fine.

Meanwhile, a lot of talk about the Islanders, naturally. Scott Gomez had a cluster of cameras around him and said all the right things — give them credit, we need to step up, etc. Then the cameras turned to Brendan Shanahan and Shanahan said, “I’m basically going to say everything he said.”

I still don’t think Straka should play the point on the PP. His shot is OK (not exactly the type of shot you look for at the point), he doesn’t shoot enough, and especially since he’s just coming back from a broken finger. (Granted, though, he does hustle back.)

Callahan should play with Gomez and Shanny. He drives to the net and shoots. Hossa, on his way, to the net, will probably turn the other way.

Spider – I’m so pleased that someone else finally identifies that this isn’t always Renney’s decision. Who knows if this is the case right now, but Hossa can’t get hurt if he doesn’t play, right?

Adam – I don’t think it’s even straka’s shot that has him on the point right now. I think it’s a few things. 1) he knows when to take a shot. 2) if blocked, he’s quick enough to get back(lord knows we’ve had that ‘shorty’ problem lately) 3) he’s pretty accurate.

The only benefit I can see from Straka on the point is that he has an uncanny knack for gaining the zone. Other than that, his shot couldn’t break cardboard when he was fully healthy, so don’t expect goals from him, but it’s one more person Jagr is willing to pass it to.

When he was out there with Roszival, Gomez, Shanahan and Drury he seemed content to just play catch with Roszival.

I don’t know whether he was reluctant to pass to anyone else because then they wouldn’t do what he wanted them to do or make the plays he wanted or what, but that’s what I saw from him.

Two Jagr-feeders on the points of the same PP Unit!?!? The isles should be able to read that game plan like a book…That group won’t get anything accomplished unless they go to Prucha ccasionally. I just hope they don’t stay on the ice for 1:30 of every PP opportunity.

Anyone know who’s center the other unit? Drury or Gomez? Drury seems more fit to play the wing than Gomez, but I find it hard to believe they’d pass on letting him take draws and plant himself in front of the net.

Moore with 1 NHL game under his belt over Hossa, that is ABSOLUTELY not the right call.

Don’t get me wrong, Hossa is starting to get to me too, but I just don’t see the alternative right now. It is definitely NOT Moore and is probably not Dawes either.

Straka on the point always confuses me. If I am playing the box on the PP against Straka at the point, I am hanging down at the faceoff dots, no higher. I think I could catch Straka’s shot with my hand. He is a crafty guy who might be able to get into the zone, and is a good passer, but he does not have a shot at all. Plus he has a recently injured hand.

So tonight we face our nemesis. The good thing is that this is their 3d game in 4 nights. We better get fired up for this game. If we come out flat, I will call for Renney’s or Jagr’s head. The Isles and the Flyers picked up 2 pts last night. We need this game.

re: allstar voting. It’s voting. Huet starts for the Montreal Candadiens. I haven’t looked, but a couple of days ago Markov was leading defensemen. Last year Rory Fitzpatrick almost got voted to the team. It’s not a big deal. Hank will be on the team, I assure you. The third goaltender will be interesting, as there are a few guys who are qualified.

re: Hossa. You have to be kidding me. Nigel f-ing Dawes! that line worked in the preseason! It was so simple! You can’t keep Hossa there for 2-4 weeks, regardless of whether you like Dawes’ game or not. Shit, I would even take Korpikoski over Hossa on that line. It’s going to be a disaster.

what about moving mara up on the pp as a big guy in front of the net. He might be able to hit the net from down low and he’s a pretty tough guy who could take some whack in front. Throw him out there with Shanny and let Shanny rip em.

Hossa sucks big donkey balls. he failed, flat out, on line 1 with players who play like him. no reason to believe he’ll do any better on line 2 with guys who don’t play like him. he’s looked like ass the last 15 games. why the vote of confidence?

even if noone was brought up, both prucha and callahan are more deserving and better choices for that line. hossa belongs on the 3rd line occasionally, and mostly on the 4th. the guy is a never was and he’ll stay that way. full of what ifs.